(A/N: RCA connectors (composite video) was a pretty good standard for the time. Now we have glorious HDMI, but you can't fault the engineers back then. They were really good.)

-️-️-️-️Jaune POV️-️-️-️-

Fuck yeah! They have pizza today! I take three pieces and sit down alone somewhere. That pepperoni looks so succulent… And before I know it, it is gone. Pizza truly is a gift from the gods.

Thankfully I have two slices left! Man this day is good. Helped Yatsu out, did really good In training, no boring History class today! But there is that Dust class coming up though…

No matter! Dust is fun! There's no way in hell it can as bad as Port's classes…

I focus back on my pizza. Man that smell is intoxicating.

*chomp*

Another slice is gone. This is great!

Then a shooting sound enters my ears. I look over in that direction and see Yang looking very mad.

"Stop touching her!"
"Yang please she can do what she-"
"It's my sister and I decide who she messes with!"

I zoom out a bit and see a guy running away out of fear. Typical Yang. It'll really suck for Ruby trying to get a date to the dance.

When is the dance anyway?

Luckily a colorful flyer is just over to the right.

Come one, come all to the annual Beacon Dance!

Show off your dancing skills with fast-paced club music, or take a nice slow ride with your beau to a slower-paced song. It also comes with the highest quality fruit punch and pizza!

The dance is next Thursday, so be there or be square!*

*Squares are also welcome. Terms and Conditions may apply.

Highest quality pizza?!

Let's see that's…. I take out my fingers to count the days and it's… 10 days from now! I got plenty of time to practice my best moves!

I inhale the final piece of cheesy goodness and prepare to leave for the Dust class. It's gonna be so easy!

One walk through the hallways later...

I'm here! Of course it just had to be at the very end of the hall. Thank Oum I made it before the bell. I open the door and the teacher is right there, seemingly waiting on my entrance.

"Welcome back to the class Jaune! You're lucky to be allowed back here. We rearranged the seating while you were gone, so please take your seat over there."

She points to the last column of desks, where there is an open spot just past halfway down. Weiss and Pyrrha are on the column to the left, forming a small triangle pattern.

"Yes ma'am!"

I jump over there and sit down. I hear some snickers as I sit down, but they are just small potatoes now.


Despite my writing improvement, I still hadn't learned how to not repeat words yet. And looking back at SOiB as of this posting, I still don't quite know how.


"Today's lesson is about the dangers of dust mixing. Before I start however…"

She grabs a pretty large book and walks over toward me.

"Since you have been gone a few days, I made a book that contains what you have missed. I expect you to read up on it for the test coming up in 2 days."

I notice Weiss covering her ears. Several other students are doing the same. Why are th-

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA my ears are ringing! How heavy is that damn book?

The teacher walks back over to her desk. I use this time to take out my notepad and prepare to take something resembling notes. If my ears will stop ringing!

"Mixing dust is a really, really risky idea. I'll show it off first by mixing some gravity and ice dust under this protective shield. PLEASE do not try this at home."

I only catch the second half of that thanks to my ears ringing! But it begins to calm down.

I watch her put the dust down, and give the container a nice little shake.

The dust starts sparking inside the container, but as the smoke dies down, a small ball of ice remains.

Write that down!

The pencil gets used for the first time today. But it feels really.. good to write these notes. Much better than that boring history class.

Meanwhile, the professor continues on, talking about all the properties of this mysterious ball.

"If not for the special covering on the bottom of this container, this ball would go straight through the floor, the basement, and even a lot of the dirt before getting stopped. Balls that are bigger can destroy entire city blocks."


Just a little bit too crack for a teacher. Also, it should be could, not can, or better, 'have the potential to'


That's two lines on the paper already! And I haven't even fell asleep yet!

...It's half an hour now. This class is much better than history class! I had to use a second page for notes! Two pages! I've never done that in my life, that's for sure. Now she's talking about some accident that happened at a dustworks shop or something, I don't care.

I'm just doodling some weapon ideas right now. Maybe a double-chambered thing? How about a sword with dust tubes? Maybe a sword with a-

*bzzzzzzt*

Who is that? I look up at the teacher and she is just going on and on about this accident. No way she'll notice.

Hi!

What? I check the number and it says "Restricted". Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…

Who is this?

Nothing you need to know right now. What you do need to know is just how dreamy you look.

What the Oum? Who would do something like this? My mind is really thinking now. I scan around the room quickly. There are tons of faces here. All of RWBY, NPR, CRDL, hell even CFVY are here. Never mind all the other students... This doesn't help!


Oh now I replace a curse word with Oum. How many times has he cursed so far? Definitely too many, but at least lean into the cursing instead of going back now. And only five or so sentences later the cursing returns, too.


Uhhh… thanks?

My eyes scan the room for any reactions, but no one moves. I just look back to the teacher for now. Now she's talking about a Dustmas festival? How many accidents have there been with Dust? Well, time to get back to notes…

I write down just two and a half sentences before the scroll buzzes again.

I saw you look at me a minute ago.

Jesus this person is trying to kill me! I look around again, and still no one is moving. They must have ice in their veins! I try to keep that in mind and narrow down the candidates. Definitely not Cardin, thank fucking Oum. I guess I can also eliminate… uhhhhhh… uhhhhhhhhhhhhh…

"Jaune Arc! If you are going to not pay attention in my class at least stare into the book I spent all of five minutes preparing for you! These ungrateful children I swear…"

Everyone starts laughing at me. Even Weiss is laughing! Weiss! She doesn't have a funny bone in her body!

Whatever. Gotta concentrate. Now she's talking about Dust ratios and other math stuff. At least there I have a chance.

*bzzzzt*

Nope, not letting that get me again! Math, math math. 3 cups of fire dust plus 1 pinch of gravity dust makes the fire go upside down?! That's cool!

The pencil is getting a real workout now. The second page is covered in graphite. On to the third. Everything is getting ba-

*bzzzt*

Stop this! I am now visibly sweating as my mind fights between the allure of the mystery admirer and the important Dust learning. Focus!


"I am now visibly sweating" is not how one should write. Growing pains!


*bzzzt*

This is insane! I fight desperately to keep my mind focused…

But I can't. I have to check it.

I know you're thinking about me Jaune…
I can see you getting tense...
Isn't it so tantalizing to have someone who wants you so close?!

I hear a small laugh. Then another one joins. Then three more.

It's probably about me isn't it... Uggggggggggghhhh… I can almost feel the brightness slipping away...

*bzzzt*

WHAT THE HELL IS IT NOW?!

It shows a picture of me. In this room. Looking like I am about to explode. That's definitely what they were laughing about.

And then the caption..

Pffft! You look so cute trying to not think about me. And you don't even know who I am! This is too much fun!
Hey! Stop doing that!
Doing what? ;)

I slump down in my chair at that one, making an audible bang as my face hits the desk.

More laughing. Just great… And now the teacher's staring at me…

"Jaune Arc! Stop goofing off in my class! Last time I checked you barely even knew of the legendary Schnee Dust Company! I should fail you right this instant for such a grave offense!"

I'm not letting this go any longer! I block this stupid "Restricted" person once and for all! No more distractions!

I get back into the lecture, about to put pencil to paper and-

*bzzzt*

Not getting rid of me that easily! ;)

…...Just let this class end already!

Fine. I give up on your game. Who are you?
Come to the rooftop after class. And don't keep a lady waiting… ;)

Well I know it's for sure not Cardin or any of his friends now.. But now who could it possibly be?

Coco? Nah. From what I've heard from Yatsu she would be straight up insulting me at this point.

Yang? HAH! That's a good one.

Ruby? Hell no. Yang would never let that happen in a million years. It has a better chance of being Glynda.

Blake? I dunno, she really tore me down a few nights ago..

I look over at her for a millisecond.

And she's sill eye-fucking her book…

Nora? No. That's too much for a mere mortal like myself to deal with. Ren can handle that one. And there wasn't even one mention of pancakes!

Weiss? Uhhh… It could happen?

Pyrrha? I mean she did hit me with that tree...

None of these options are even plausible! This is ridiculous!

I don't want to deal with this anymore. With that "rationalization" I can FINALLY push this out of my mind. Thank goodness.


Why can't I have Jaune's powers of magically having the ability to not think about something or have it affect him in any way by simply thinking "I don't want to deal with this anymore?" It would make life so much easier.


The last few minutes of class go by without a single buzz from the mystery girl and I walk to back to my dorm for my break. Luckily there's still two hours before the sparring match…

*bzzzt*

I'm waiting for you Jaune… 3

Oh joy…...

I really don't want to go up there… you know what, screw it. Not today. No more of this. Time to be a true huntsman! Time to show my grit and toughness to the world!

No.

(A/N: Oooh! Cliffhanger! But you probably saw this one coming. I am not one for the simple path.)